Some people buy dogs. Some people raise them. Is it all the same when you reach the winner's circle? Does it mean more when a dog wins if you raised it from a pup? Or if you are the breeder? Or is a win a win, no matter where the dog came from?

I love raising my own, or atleast doing all the ground work myself . Thats what I prefer to do. Ive bought some nice ones in the last year, but cant force myself to put them in hunts.
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To each his own though I dont care if someone else buys a dog and can win, thats great if thats what they like Im cool with that. Just not what I like to do .

I feel a win with a pup you bred or raised is more exciting. Any win is a win but raising the dog from a pup means alot more to me than buying a good dog that can win. JMO. I will also say that I dont have a problem with people who buy a dog they like. Its their $ and they can spend it on what they like! Lol

I think it just depends on the person and there time constraints etc. I know several guys who buy a year old dog that's ready to go they trial them all fall winter and into the spring finish the dogs and feel great about not having to be out there for all the starting work it only makes since for them to do this because of working long hours buying a pup and having to try and find time to start it raise it etc. knowing they can't put all the time in they want to and the adverse effects that has on a young dog is a gamble to where the sure route to getting what they want is spending a few hundred more and getting one ready to kick a$$ with.

Me personally I got time to run pups and enjoy working young dogs and watching them progress to the point they are ready for trials it's just an extra cherry on top if the pup is from our kennel and I can take a nostalgic look back and think what there parents where like at that age and see if the pup stacks up.

On some of our dogs right now I am several generations in to owning parents,grandparents..Its a little more rewarding for me...I have a hard time getting attached to ones I dont raise..I am always planning or looking ahead for my next cross..always looking for a special dog to breed to..
I cant afford to go buy a outstanding trial ready dog,. I understand why some do..work family and time issues..they still have to put time in hunting them so Im sure it counts as much.

Kinda fun raising a Hard headed Pup, even funnier to watch it start. I really enjoy the putting it together part. Sometimes guys want my dogs worse than i do so i start over again. Some my thought is"A ready made fc maybe worth the cash for some i just like raising and training my pups"

When the moment of truth arrives, the point of preparation has passed.
Old School, Full Throttle ,No Bottle.

Planning the cross , making the cross , raising the pup and starting & trainning make's it really great on a win atleast for me . But no matter how it happens a win is a win , these days that's speical as well .

I have a special bond with my dogs I raise, but I also can get attached to dogs I haven't raised, depends on the dog....
Deadeye Beagle I have sold many on here that can and have won....As a matter of fact the Bob male thats listed I decided to keep is a bad mother.....He will be at a trial real soon to showcase what he has, they better be quick is all I got to say....
My IPod female went to the quarter finals of the 2012 PKC World at 8 months old, you want to talk about proud.....

This is a great question. I feel like everyone would rather plan a cross make the cross pick a pup and raise it into a winner. That feeling of doing all the work and becoming a winner is the greatest accomplishment in this sport. But that being said dad and I raise most dogs we have ever trialed and have won some but not an overwhelming amount by no means, we also have bought a couple dogs and had success with. I think the feeling at the moment of winning is the same but down the road it doesn't have the same satisfaction in my eyes as raise one and doing all the work making the pup into a big hunt winner. Just my thoughts.

There's a lot more pride in a pup you've raised and trained yourself. There's also a stronger bond formed early. I like working with young pups--from eight weeks on. I get a kick out of watching the light bulb go on for them and that first yappy puppy strike. A 8-month-old pup I've been working struck first on a rabbit today. She keeps up with the rest of the pack really well and doesn't panic at being a long ways from me. It's all confidence building for both of us. (A GPS collar gives me reassurance.) A dog you've worked with and is eager to please, given decent breeding, will work its heart out for you. Just my two cents and worth what you paid for it.

mike crabtree wrote:I love raising my own, or atleast doing all the ground work myself . Thats what I prefer to do. Ive bought some nice ones in the last year, but cant force myself to put them in hunts.
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To each his own though I dont care if someone else buys a dog and can win, thats great if thats what they like Im cool with that. Just not what I like to do .

Mike, I am responding to you for the 2nd time tonight, sort of like a "father and son talk." I do not trial as much as you and certainly am not as well known but I do enjoy the limited trialing ROWCO does and unexplainalbly I like you, your dogs, and most of your opinions. We have won with dogs we bought and dogs we breed and raised. I must admit that there was more fun in winning with the ones we raised. However, I want to call to your attention that if a lot of your friends had not trialed with dogs they bought off Honey (RIP), she could not have been able to make the HOF as a Reproducer. It works both ways. You have certainly accmplished a lot and left a mark on LP. Some of us just had to be jump started and trial dogs we bought, some from you. Congratulations by the way on the HOF. Now you can turn out the light and go to sleep - daddy has had his talk. Bobby